U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected President Joe Biden's proposal for a supplemental $24 billion aid package for Ukraine, stating that such decisions should be left to President-elect Donald Trump.
On December 4, Speaker Johnson, a Republican, announced that he would not include provisions for additional aid to Ukraine in any government funding resolution before the end of the year.
"Any aid package for Ukraine will be determined by President-elect Donald Trump once he takes office on January 20 next year," Johnson said. "Weeks before the election, I stated that if Trump won, it would change the dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and we are now seeing that unfold."
Johnson emphasized that "this is not the time for Joe Biden to make decisions," arguing that the House will wait for directives from the incoming president. "I don’t believe any aid for Ukraine will be passed at this point," he stated.
Biden's Proposal
The White House had earlier proposed a multiyear aid package for Ukraine, which includes $8 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). This initiative would provide additional military equipment, training support, and advisory services to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities.
The remaining $16 billion was earmarked for the U.S. Department of Defense to replenish stockpiles of weapons already sent to Ukraine, cover maintenance costs for military equipment, and reimburse expenses related to training Ukrainian forces or other allied nations assisting Kyiv.
Any White House budget proposal must pass the Republican-controlled House before moving to the Senate for approval. Without Johnson's support to include Ukraine aid in a funding resolution, the proposal is effectively stalled.
Existing Aid and Challenges
The U.S. Congress had previously approved multiple aid packages for Ukraine. The Biden administration still has approximately $6 billion left from prior allocations but faces significant challenges in disbursing the funds as U.S. and allied stockpiles are nearly depleted after almost three years of supplying Ukraine.
Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced a new $725 million aid package for Ukraine, which includes Stinger man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), rockets for HIMARS, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), anti-personnel mines, and other equipment.
President Biden has been increasingly relying on the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), a legal mechanism allowing the U.S. government to transfer weapons directly from its stockpiles to allies in emergency situations without congressional approval.
Recent PDA-based aid packages for Ukraine have typically been valued between $125 million and $250 million. Biden is expected to fully utilize the remaining $4-5 billion in PDA funds for Ukraine before President-elect Trump takes office.
A Shift in U.S. Strategy
President-elect Trump is widely expected to overhaul U.S. strategy on Ukraine. During his campaign, Trump criticized extensive aid packages for Kyiv and pledged to swiftly end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The Biden administration's focus on disbursing available aid underscores the urgency to bolster Ukraine's position ahead of a potential policy shift under Trump's leadership.
